Asian Insider Jan 23: Asia on guard over Wuhan crisis and the case for an open global trading system

Hi,

In today's bulletin: We look at how Asia is responding to the growing crisis of the Wuhan virus outbreak that has so far claimed the lives of 17 people and Singapore making a case at the World Economic Forum for an open global system where every country plays by the rules of the game.

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On Thursday morning (Jan 23), Wuhan city's some 11 million residents woke up to learn they were in lockdown, with public transport halted, flights out cancelled and trains not running just two days from the Chinese New Year holiday that traditionally unites families for days of feasting. It is a dramatic escalation for Wuhan, the ground zero for an outbreak that has killed 17 people and sickened hundreds. The outbreak has residents questioning their every move.

Student Yi Zixuan, 21, is terrified that a meal with friends near a hospital may have exposed her to the new coronavirus, which causes pneumonia in those infected. "I didn't wear a mask. I've cancelled a trip to Changsha during the Lunar New Year holiday and I'm even cancelling my plans to watch movies at the cinema. I'll try to stay home as much as I can."

Senior Correspondent Tan Ee Lyn visited wildlife markets in various parts of China during the Sars outbreak in 2003 and through several episodes of H5N1 bird flu after that. These markets are teeming not only with all kinds of animals, but also hundreds and perhaps thousands of viruses and bacteria that the animals are natural hosts or reservoirs to. While these animal hosts are not susceptible or taken ill by these pathogens, people who are in close proximity to these animals may fall ill.

Journalist Toh Ting Wei reports that a top infectious disease expert and the Ministry of Health have said that the public should not rely on N95 masks to guard against the Wuhan virus. Instead, surgical masks are more appropriate in this case, as they help reduce the spread of the virus and are more practical for the general public to use.

WUHAN: Several people who have died from a new virus in China did not display symptoms of fever, potentially complicating global efforts to check for infected travellers as they arrive at airports and other travel hubs.

Education Correspondent Amelia Teng reports that pre-schools in Singapore have stepped up measures to safeguard against the Wuhan virus. A spokesman for the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said it issued advisories to pre-schools and student care centres to inform them about precautionary measures to ensure the well-being of children and staff.

GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the measures being taken in the Chinese city of Wuhan to close down transport to limit spread of the new coronavirus showed commitment to minimising risks locally and abroad.

News Editor Zakir Hussain reports that to strengthen this system, Singapore is working to maintain domestic support for openness, doing its part to support the World Trade Organisation and working with regional groupings to deepen economic integration. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said an open global trading system where every country plays by the rules of the game is of great help to a small nation like Singapore. "Without that, if I am arm wrestling one on one, Singapore versus whoever the other side is, chances are the other party is bigger than us," he told a panel discussion on sustaining multilateralism at the World Economic Forum.

At a time when globalisation is under pressure around the world, Singapore has to continue to bet on countries cooperating closely with one another. It has to up its game, raise its capabilities and bring in new investments that will connect it to centres of vibrancy and prosperity worldwide, and enable it to make a contribution to this growth, Mr Lee said.

Editor-in-Chief Warren Fernandez observes that two sharply contrasting visions of the state of global affairs had been put before business and political leaders gathered in Davos for the 50th edition of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The first might be called rosy - or robust, depending on your political persuasion - optimism. This was a picture painted by United States President Donald Trump, of economic growth and prosperity in America "like never seen before", and prospects for technological progress it has not even imagined.

His opening remarks were followed almost immediately by a plea of anguished anxiety by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The world was not moving fast enough to avert a climate apocalypse, she charged. Governments were falling behind even on past commitments to do so, and leaders were failing their children by not acting to check global warming when they still could.

Assistant Business Editor Joanna Seow and Senior Political Correspondent Grace Ho report that the employment rate of Singapore citizens has risen over the past decade, as has the share of professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) among working Singaporeans. Their median real income also grew faster compared with the total resident workforce - which includes permanent residents - while citizen unemployment remained low.

As Singapore citizens consistently make up about 85 per cent of the resident labour force, their trends track closely to those of resident data, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) noted on Thursday (Jan 23). There were 2.33 million residents in the labour force as of June 2019, comprising 1.97 million Singaporeans and 360,000 PRs.

The thousands of anti-government protesters who have been arrested over the almost-eight month long civil unrest in Hong Kong are putting a tremendous strain on the courts, lawyers in the city say. Of the more than 7,000 protesters, only 1,092 have been charged and just 12 people have been sentenced.

Ms Vannie Lau, a solicitor defending 10 arrested protesters, said many lawyers are already volunteering for 25 cases, the maximum number for which the government will subsidise fees for defendants who can't afford representation. Ms Lau said it was not uncommon for court hearings to stretch long past normal hours, recounting a hearing for 96 people in a rioting case that lasted from 4.30pm to 10.30pm.

"It just shows that even the judiciary can't handle such a large amount of defendants," Ms Lau said.

Philippines Correspondent Raul Dancel reports that a senator and close ally of President Rodrigo Duterte has denounced the Singaporean chief executive of a motorcycle ride-sharing firm and wants her declared "persona non grata" - or unwelcomed - in the Philippines. Senator Aquilino Pimentel III accused Angkas head Angeline Tham, 37, of being "high-handed, arrogant and irresponsible" in a resolution filed in the Senate on Jan 16. "Her acts… should not be countenanced but be condemned to the fullest," he said.

INDIA: Housewife Rashmi Sahijwala never expected to start working at the age of 59, let alone join India's gig economy - now she is part of an army of housewives turning their homes into "cloud kitchens" to feed time-starved millennials.

MALAYSIA: From June, those applying for new driving licenses in the country will be put through automated car driving tests in a move to reduce graft at vehicle driving centres. Under the new system, the examiners will monitor tests from a control room at the driving institute, thus reducing the interaction between learner drivers and the officers that led to corruption.

SINGAPORE: If you are looking for some retail therapy after too much socialising during the Chinese New Year (CNY) holidays, Lifestyle Journalist Amanda Chai has some recommendations for places that remain open during the long weekend.

Thank you for reading the Asian Insider, and for being a reader of The Straits Times.

Have a great time over the long Chinese New Year weekend and see you again next Tuesday.

- Ooi Boon

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